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Reviews
Otousan no tabako (2007)
Review
A little girl goes to buy cigarettes to a vending machine for her father even though her mother tells her not to do that. Her father is suffering from serious illness, so he can not buy by himself. This short film describes the little girl's conflict that she loves her father and wants to buy cigarettes for him even though of course she knows cigarettes are bad for health, especially sick people. I think the film's title Otousan no tabako (Father's cigarettes) describes the girl's conflict well. I mean that Otousan no tabako means not only her love for her father but also the thing which may cause his worse health or his death. I recommend everyone to watch this film because it describes the girl's conflict very well. People may recognize again that cigarettes are bad for health, what is more, those who smoke may feel that they should stop smoking for their daughters or beloved.
Capote (2005)
Review
The murder case that a family was killed happened and Truman Capote starts writing the book from the murder. He visits the scene of the murder and contacts the murderers to get some materials. This film describes the process that Truman Capote has finished off his work, In Cold Bloody. I have not read his novel much less I did not know that Capote was an actual writer before watching this film. However this film makes me feel reading his novel especially In Cold Bloody because I got some information and background about him through this film. This film describes the background of the terrible murder and the feeling and idea of Capote. I recommend everyone to watch this film in spite of whether you have read In Cold Bloody or not because this film describes the background of the novel well. And if you have not read the book, you must get to want to read it like me.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Review
Joel comes across Kate and starts associating with her, but his existence is suddenly erased from her memory. He is aware of that she erased the memories with him by a special machine, therefore he decides to erase the memories with her as well. At the first part of the story, I thought that this story was complex and I could not understand. What is worth, the same scenes were repeated many times and I was confused. However, I started noticing that this is very heart-warming story between the man and the woman. I got to feel that the true love is strong and no one can interfere with it. And I also felt that they cannot erase the memories with each other because they love each other even though they do not notice. I recommend everyone to watch the film because this story is a little different from other love stories. It is moving and heart-warming story.
Warai no daigaku (2004)
Review
The story is set in the age when the comedy in public was restricted by the government. An inspector and a comedy writer make a comedy within the legally permissible level together. The funny words and rhythmical music still linger in my head because two of them repeat practices again and again while working out a detailed plan. This film was scripted by Koki Mitani who is the famous scriptwriter and director in Japan. Most of his works are comedies and make me laugh every time. As the title says, this film also makes me laugh. I like Koji Yakusho who plays the part of the inspector in this film and he appears on most of works by Koki Mitani. In this film, "Mitani World" is developed like other his works. I recommend everyone to watch the film because the film not only is funny but also describes the times.
The Visitor (2007)
Review
Walter is a professor at university, but lacks the will to do his job and play piano. One day, he goes his apartment and comes across a black couple who lives in his apartment without permission. Walter and a black man, whose name is Tarek get familiar with each other through a musical instrument which Tarek brings, djembe. This film describes the friendship between two men which was built by a musical instrument and the hard and severe life. I like the music played in this film, especially the music played by djembe because they make me feel good. Also I like not the only the scenes Tarek is playing djembe but also Walter is playing because they plays music very happily as they forget the real life. I recommend everyone to watch this film because I think you may be moved by their friendship and you may be relaxed by their music.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Review
An American actor and a beautiful woman meet in Tokyo and they are getting familiar with each other. Both of them do not get used to the stay in Tokyo and they are worried about each future. This film describes the difficulty of human relationship and of understanding cultural difference. The story tells us the importance of telling our own honest feeling to people, especially friends and families, for if we do not tell the honest feeling each other, we cannot communicate and understand each other. What is more, I am interested in the description of Japan and Japanese. I feel that the descriptions of Japanese are excessive from the viewpoint of Japanese, such as an interpreter and a director. But the whole Japanese society are described well, so they may be helpful for foreigners to understand the society of Japan. I recommend everyone to watch this film because I think everyone has experienced such feeling once.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Review
A man who is a taxi driver hates people who are into drugs or prostitutes in the street. He is disgusted by them and takes to the extreme way to mend them. Also, he wants to show the existence of himself to everyone. This film is one of New Hollywood and an empty atmosphere prevails throughout the story. I like a series of films of New Hollywood because the story shows a unique sense of values or a view of the world and the main characters are antisocial, but they have their own idea and try to express themselves and insist on what they think even though it may be wrong. I think this film also tells us that what the right justice is as well as the importance of holding their own justice. It is a deep story. I recommend everyone, especially those who like New Hollywood to watch this film.
Babe (1995)
Review
One day, a farmer won a contest guessing the weight of a pig and he brings the pig to his farm. This film is about the growth of the pig. The pig is called Babe by other animals and he is very cute, honest and moderate, so everyone loves him. I like his smile because his smile makes me warm emotion. As I said, this story describes the growth of Babe. He tries to become like a shepherd dog though he is a pig. I think that this story describes that it is important to pursue dreams even if it seems to be impossible or difficult and also tells us the importance of holding a pure but steady and firm mind for our own dreams. I recommend everyone to watch the film because not only Babe is cute but also this film tells us the very important things in our life.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Review
One day, the UFOs come to the town. A man who is interested in the UFOs and a woman whose child was kidnapped by UFOs try to find out the truth of the happenings. Though computer graphics are not used in this film at all, the descriptions of powerful and real UFOs are amazing. I think that they are more wonderful than those made by computer graphics. I thought that the aliens were weird and violent, but they were not. I like the aliens in this film because they look strange but the small aliens are cute. This film are produced by Steven Allan Spielberg and I think he should have given children all over the world the dreams and hopes of space and aliens. This film is not only Science Fiction but also Fantasy. This also describes the importance of pursuing the dreams. Therefore, I recommend everyone to watch this film.
Big (1988)
Review
A boy makes a wish to be big on a magical machine as he cannot ride a roller coaster in a carnival because of his height and he puts shame in front of a beautiful girl. The next morning, he finds himself to become an adult. This film is a comedy and describes the boy's life in society. I feel that the flexible and childlike ideas are helpful as new points of view and I think I want to hold a childlike mind in the future. There are my favorite scenes in this film. The one is that the boy does not change his life-style and thoughts after becoming an adult and the other is that what he says is considered jokes or metaphors by adults. This film is heart-warming and it may remind audiences of their original intension before getting a job, so I want to everyone to watch this film.
Being John Malkovich (1999)
Review
A man who is a puppeteer finds a hole in his office. The hole is connected to the inside of John Malkovich who is a famous actor and everyone can experience John Malkovich for 15 minutes. This film describes people who change their mind by experiencing the eyes and the daily life of John Malkovich. The story is complex but very unique. This is the strangest film that I have ever watched, such as a hole connecting to the inside of a famous actor and people who are about to advantage of such a hole. However, this film is a comedy, so I could enjoy it without thinking deeply. After watching it, I thought of what to do if I could become someone famous. On the contrary, I felt that it would be fearful if my remarks or expressions could be controlled by someone. I recommend those who love strange and mysterious story to watch this film.
Whacked (1998)
Review
People fall down to the ground in the street suddenly one after another. At first, audiences may think that this film is about chemical weapons or infection disease. This short film is monochrome and silent and what is more, a gloomy mood runs through the film. These effects may cause the fearful atmosphere. However, the real story is different from my first impression considerably. Actually, the story is about a man practicing golf. He works at a golf driving range and takes a golf ball when he goes home and practices with the ball. It is interesting for me to cheers be played in his head when he hits a ball. I think this film describes how to refresh and reduce stress in a busy town. This short film is comedy and very enjoyable, therefore I recommend everyone, especially who are under stress to watch this film. Everyone may keep their eyes glued to the film from beginning to end.
The Lunch Date (1989)
Review
A woman who seems to be wealthy has a lunch with a man who seems to be homeless. I think that this short film describes racial issues and the social with a large gap between rich and poor. Black people in this film seem to be homeless and do something sneaky to get money. On the contrary, the woman is white, wears luxury items and has some shopping bags. Furthermore, the woman is suspicious of black men all the time. This film is a comedy, but describes the fact well. It is interesting for me that the woman's mind does not change even though her good experience, for I feel that this woman's mind is the very mind that white people thought once. This is mainly a heart-warming comedy and it may be suitable to learn about the history of racial problems in America. Therefore, I recommend everyone to watch the film.
Knick Knack (1989)
Review
This short film is about the love story of a snowman in the knick-knack world. The toy snowman tries to leave out of his snow ball to approach a sexy doll. This film is a computer graphics animation produced by PIXAR. What is more, in general, the music is rhythmical and seems to be a summer song and the background and a cluster of characters are very colorful. There is no dialog, but it is very easy to understand the story because of the characters' movement and the snowman's facial expression which is changeable despite being a toy. I like that the toy snowman falls in love with the sexy doll at first and is attracted to her in spite of her living in the summer world. Though it is an animation, I think that not only children but also adults can enjoy it, therefore I recommend everyone to watch this short film.
The Crush (2010)
Review
A boy falls in love with his beautiful teacher and confesses his love to her, but she thinks he makes a joke. Also, she has a fiancé actually. This story describes the boy's pure love to his teacher. His way to prevent her from her fiancé is a little extreme and as a result, skillful. I think that he is not about to make the way skillful, but he just does his best for his love to a teacher. He is a child, but he thinks about her earnestly unlike her fiancé. The audiences may feel that serious love brings about a good effect, while unserious love causes a bad influence on oneself. I like the boy's lovely face staring upon his teacher and the scene that he gives a toy ring to her. I recommend everyone to watch the short film because you would see the strength of pure and earnest love.
Gasman (1997)
Review
A father, his daughter (Lynne) and his son (Steven) go to a Christmas party with a woman's daughter and son who look like almost the same age as them. This short film describes the children's sensitive mind. Lynne is jealous of the other girl for sitting on her father's lap, while the girl feels sad and lonely because there are not her parents and there are many strangers in the party. When I was a child, I felt a little jealous of other girls for talking with my father and also I felt lonely when there were not my parents around me, therefore I understand their feeling well. I cannot understand the father's feeling yet, however I would understand it in the future. I recommend everyone watching this film because it describes not only children's feeling but also parents' mind in an unusual situation and the audiences would watch it from children's and parents' viewpoint.
Embers (2006)
Review
A woman is waiting for her husband coming back home from a battlefield anxiously. While she is waiting for him, she has a terrifying dream many times. There is little dialogue near the beginning, however this film focuses on her feeling and her nightmare from beginning to end and they make us easy to understand the story. Her dream describes her feeling and the change of it after her husband comes back. This short film describes her complicated and bewildered feeling caused from the dream before he comes back and the change of the beloved person's character and mind well. Also, the film poses the question of what the justice is in the battlefield to the audience. I think that this film tells us the terror of wars which have changed people's character. Therefore I hope everyone watching the short film because this film makes us consider the fear of war well.
Three Days in Kamakura (2012)
Review
An English teacher and his wife spend three days with a child who is left behind in the English conversation school. Three days with the child make the couple's life happier than before. As you recognize, this short film was shot in Kamakura, therefore it may be familiar for Japanese audiences. There is the train accident that happened in Kamakura as the background of this film, therefore the story goes forward with the crash. I like that the couple invites the next-door woman who is concerned whether her husband is safe or not because of the train crash in the last part of the film. I think the scene describes the couple's, especially the wife's change of mind as she becomes kinder and more sociable than before. I recommend everyone to watch this short film because I think that this film makes you feel happy as the same as the couple does in this story.
Lifted (2006)
Review
A small alien tries to abduct a sleeping man from his house to the spacecraft, however it is very hard for the alien to operate the spacecraft. This short film is a computer graphics animation produced by PIXAR. The music changes in each scene, for example, the music is played while succeeding in the abduction. There are few dialogs from beginning to end, but the small alien's facial expression and the other alien's expressionless face help you understand the story. I like the small alien because he is expressive and smiles innocently. I think the audiences feel familiar to aliens because of the small alien. In fact, the story continues while the credits roll, therefore you should be careful of it until the end. I recommend not only children but also adults watching this short film because the alien is very cute and innocent. I think that you would like him very much.
Father and Daughter (2000)
Review
A father and his daughter say goodbye to each other and the father leaves somewhere by boat. The daughter waits for her father coming back for a long time. This silent short film is animation and expresses a daughter's sadness by the monochrome painting. It is sometimes difficult to understand the animation character's feeling just by their facial expression. Still more this film describes the view from a distance, so it seems to be even more difficult. However, we can grasp her feeling by her movement and of course, the painting of this film. Moreover, because of the image from a distance, we can see the change of season, which describes her long time waiting for her father. The music in this film also describes her feeling by the change of tempo. It is interesting for me that everyone in this film rides a bicycle. I recommend everyone to watch the film, especially those who dislike their father because this film makes you feel that the father is important.
Paperman (2012)
Review
A man and a woman meet at the terminal because of a sheet of paper blown off by the wind. This short animation story makes progress by many pieces of paper and paper planes. Though there are no words and no scenes where the man and the woman have a conversation in this short film, sheets of paper play an important part in their communication. This film is mostly a monochrome animation. I think that this effect sometimes expresses his feeling, such as boring and regretful feeling, but sometimes expresses his bright future by the comparison between black and white. The music in this film is rhythmical and describes the movement of paper planes and the relationship between the man and the woman well. This film is a heart-warming story and I feel the power of love, so I recommend everyone who is in love with someone and who wants to love someone to watch the film.
Fish Out of Water (2005)
Review
A man rows a boat to his workplace to avoid a traffic jam every morning. This short film describes the comparison between the man who seeks for comfort and inner reserves and the people who are pressed for time and seek for speed and efficiency. This film expresses the figure of contemporary people well in the characters' action. What is more, there is no dialogue from beginning to end and the film is composed of music and the characters' facial expression.The music in this film reflects both comfortable atmosphere and shameless feeling in the characters and their facial expression makes it easy to understand their feelings. I feel that it is important to hold peaceful and quiet feeling in the busy days. I recommend that everyone who lives a noisy and busy life and is not able to have a comfortable time should watch this film in a brief free time.